Patali alleges NPP conspiring to put off elections indefinitely

URF leader Patali Champika Ranawaka has accused the National People’s Power (NPP) of attempting to postpone Sri Lanka's elections indefinitely. The former Minister made the allegation at a media briefing, claiming that the controversial 22nd Amendment was enacted to allow the NPP to retain power without elections. Ranawaka pointed out that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Health and Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayathissa never denied NPP parliamentary group members' declarations that elections wouldn’t be held for 10 or 20 years.

Some NPP/JVP members reportedly told appointees they would also retire under the same administration. Ranawaka thanked Health and Media Minister Jayathissa for recognizing the Joint Opposition, despite the government having 40 MPs in Parliament. The ex-lawmaker alleged that the government was busy conspiring to roll back the electoral map, with President Dissanayake leading the operation.

He also blamed the government for delaying Provincial Council polls and failing to address concerns about the executive presidency. Ranawaka explained that the country couldn’t continue beyond 2027 under the current setup, as per the IMF agreement, which required debt repayment to start in 2028. The foreign reserves were down to USD 6.4 billion, with the IMF expecting them to reach USD 6.8 billion in 2028 and USD 12 billion the following year.

Ranawaka disputed the government’s claim of dealing with corruption, citing the gas crisis caused by a former government minister in 2021. The former Minister also criticized the NPP government for not taking action against those responsible for the 2022 economic crisis.